Tilla jumped into our bed after were were both in it. We changed our routine last night: we both retired at the same time. Usually I go to bed first and read an half an hour and Tilla jumps on the bed then and leaves after my wife gets in bed. This time Tilla jumped on the bed and snuggled between the two of us. His head was right next to mine. I fell asleep and he must have jumped off at some point and went to his usual spot on the Lazy Boy in my den. Coco, my other black dog–his sister–was in her usual spot where she disturbs no one: asleep on the left side of the bed.

Last night could have been the coldest night left to the waning winter: supposedly the temperature hit zero last night. I keep checking the ten day forecast and there seems to be a warming trend–temperatures in the thirties and forties. Not warm by any means but winter has only three weeks to go officially. In one day and one week the clock gets put an hour later and all of a sudden it will be light till seven o’clock. The warm weather is on its way. This winter seemed to last forever. There is an end in sight to the colder temperatures.

I play “DJ” all day for my wife. Sometimes she gets tired of the music and ask me to “pipe” it in my den or lower it or turn it off if the music is getting on her nerves. That is a gift to me that her taste in my music is eclectic so I can play almost anything any time. I was not as free to play my music with my first wife. I often had to wait until she was out of the house to play some of my music. Her tastes in music were not as varied as my current wife.

Tilla, one of my dogs–my favorite, has a new routine (as well as Coco). At bedtime, Tilla jumps on my bed and waits for me to get there. He does not like to share his private time with my wife. I go to bed first and read awhile. He has learned to give me space on our king-sized bed so I can get under the sheets completely. When my wife makes it to bed, he simply jumps off. Often when I awake his sister Coco is lying right next to me. By that time my wife is no longer sleeping in the bed. And Tilla is still lying on the Lazy Boy in my den where he usually spends the night.

Today is four weeks from spring. We are in the throes of a freeze. It will continue for, at least, ten more days. I never wanted it to get warm so desperately. It has been cold forever, it seems. I just can’t wait for the warmer weather to return.

I happen to glance to my left driving somewhere yesterday and spotted a big almost entirely white bird. When I got home I looked it up: it must have been a snowy owl. I had never seen one before. It was about two feet long as the description said in my bird book. That was the second unusual bird sighting in the last month. A few weeks before I saw a indigo bunting cross the road. Its purple was unmistakable. I had never seen one in the winter time.

It is hard to imagine spring is less than four weeks away. The warmest it gets in the next ten days will be thirty-four degrees. That is the only time it will be above freezing. They are still predicting more snow. I do not want to leave the warmth of my house. As soon as the covering of the snow melts (as if it will ever) and that is how it feels right now, I will check to see if the daffodils are coming up. Those are the two spring flowers–daffodils and crocuses that come up first. Actually the primrose come up first but I am not sure any of them are left. It is too cold for even them.

Forty-five degrees. The warmest day in the next ten days. Spring is less than six weeks away. We still have to get through February and the cold and snow they keep forecasting. It is like that each year: the winter acts as if it will be here forever. But spring and the warmer weather is always around the corner.